Ahead of HC hearing, AAP govt submits long-pending CAG reports to L-G office

Under mounting pressure from the Delhi High Court, the AAP government submitted 14 long-pending Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) reports to the Lieutenant Governor (L-G) Secretariat, officials said.

The move comes in response to a writ petition filed by the Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, seeking court directions to table these reports. Among the reports are those on the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC), Public Health, Mohalla Clinics, and Public Sector Units (PSUs).

The reports, some delayed for as long as 497 days, were sent to the L-G Secretariat in a hurried fashion to pre-empt an adverse court order, they said. According to L-G officials, “The Finance Minister and Chief Minister Atishi forwarded 12 reports on Dec 11 at 3:30 pm, a day before the court hearing, and the remaining two reports on Dec 12 at 7:50 pm, after the hearing had concluded.”

“The L-G Secretariat has been making fervent requests to the AAP government to submit these reports. It is only under the pressure of the writ petition and the impending hearing in the Delhi High Court that the Finance Minister finally acted,” the statement read.

The CAG reports also include audits of state finances, public health infrastructure, and regulatory frameworks such as liquor supply and vehicular air pollution, that had been marked to the Finance Minister as early as August 2023. “However, no significant action was taken for months. The State Finances Audit Report for 2021-22, for instance, was held up for 490 days,” another official said.

“Among the most critical findings are those reportedly detailing financial mismanagement and administrative lapses in key sectors, such as public healthcare and state PSUs,” the L-G office alleged.